Packaging machine



s. G. FISHER 2,750,723

PACKAGING MACHINE June 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1952 7674 82 Sidney 6. F lsher INVENTOR.

June 19, 1956 s. G. FISHER PACKAGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.29, 1952 Sidney 6. Fisher INVENTOR.

BY QM United States Patent PACKAGING MACHINE Sidney G. Fisher,Charleston, S. (3.

Application December 29, 1952, Serial No. 328,433

1 Claim. (Cl. 53-215) This invention relates to a packaging machine andmore particularly to a device especially adapted to package rags or anyother fibrous material such as cotton, silk, paper, jute, wood, rayonand other synthetic fibers, hemp and the like and the term rags as usedthroughout the specification and claim is not to be considered anylimitation whatsoever on the type of -material to be packaged.

This invention includes the use of a platen on which an apron is looselypositioned. There is provided a roller which passes over the platen andbeneath the apron, catching in the folds of the apron a predeterminedamount of rags to compress such rags forming a cylindrical packagethereof. The concept of this invention features the use of means foradjusting the height of the roller above the platen and also foradjusting the size of the fold in the apron. u

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision ofapackaging machine which is strong and durable, capable of packagingrags at a relatively high rate, which employs a minimum number of partsso as to enable even unskilled workers to operate the machinesatisfactorily to produce packages of rags which may be widelydistributed.

Many industrial plants, hotels, apartment houses, machine shops,garages, etc., require wiping and cleaning rags for various uses.Heretofore, these businesses purchased large bales or bundles of ragswhich when once broken tend to cause the rapid use and exhaustion of thepresently available supply of rags. This invention enables rags to bedistributed in relatively small packages which may then be packed with apredetermined number of other packages in a suitable carton for deliveryto the user. Further the individual packages may be sold to the smallconsumer or householder.

These, together with the various ancillary objects of the inventionwhich will become apparent as the following description proceeds, areattained by this packaging machine, a preferred embodiment of which hasbeen illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package of rags formed on themachine comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the rag packaging machine;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the invention showing the construction ofthe roller adjusting means.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of thelongitudinal axis of the device; and,

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view in an enlarged scale of the rolleradjusting means.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,it will be seen that the rag packaging machine comprising the presentinvention includes an angle iron base framework which is preferablyrectangular in shape. A platen 12 having an arcuate configuration issupported medial the ends of the framework 10 by means of suitable framemembers 14 of desired configuration. Polygonal shaped side plates 16 and18 are secured to the sides of the framework 10. Vertically extendingapron supporting studs 20 and 22 are secured to the framework 10 andcarry a transverse rod 24 to which an apron 26 is secured. The apron 26is formed from a suitable resilient and flexible material such as arubber impregnated and coated cloth and overlies the platen 12. Theother end of the apron is provided with a hem 32 forming a loop 34 forreception of a rod 36 which is adapted to be inserted in the loop 34.The rod 36 is supported by spaced upwardly extending apron studs 38 and40, both of which are provided with aligned apertures 42 therethrough.In order to determine the effective operating length of the apron 26,the rod 36 is secured within selected apertures 42 in the studs 38 and40, thus determining the amount of material that is available to form afold portion 44 in said apron.

Pivotally mounted on mounting plates 46 and 48 attached to the framework10 by means of shaft 52 are a pair of handle sections 54 and 56 whichare joined together as at 58 and then diverge in order that a hand gripmember 60 may be supported therebetween and suitably journalled therein.Attached to the handle section 56 is a spaced pair of brackets 62 and 64in which a threaded shaft or member 66 is journalled for rotation. Aknurled knob 68 is attached to the end 7t) of the member 66 extendingthrough the bracket 64. Carried by and threadedly engaged with themember 66 is an internally threaded support block 72. Carried by thespaced pair of brackets 74 and 76 which are attached to the handlesection 64 and journalled therein is a threaded member 78 actuated by aknurled knob 80. A support block 82 is threadedly engaged on thethreaded member '78.

Secured in the support blocks 72 and 82 and extending therebetween is ashaft 84 to which there is attached the inner races 86 of the cluster ofroller bearings 88. The outer race 94) is attached to a roller 92 ofcylindrical configuration. Depending from the handle sections 54 and 56and attached to the inner surface thereof and extending rearwardly ofthe roller 92 are roller end plates 94 and 96. In order to form apackage of rags such as indicated by reference numeral 1% in Figure l,the packaging machine employs the following mode of operation. Aninitial and weighed charge of rags is positioned within the fold 44 inthe apron 26. Then, the handle sections 54 and 56 are actuated so as tocontract and compress the rags 102 in the manner as can be seen best inFigure 4. No slack then remains in the apron 26 and the fold 44 isentirely supported by the platen 12. At this point, a covering sheet ofpaper 164 is inserted on the apron covered roller 92. Then, the handlesections 54 and 56 are pulled all the way over the platen 12 deliveringthe completely formed package. The sheet of paper 104 is provided with agummed, tacky, adhesive edge prior to insertion underneath the roller. Apull cord 1% may be bound with the covering paper 104 in order to enablethe swift removable of such covering. When the rags are inserted in thefold 44 as shown in Figure 2 the side plates 16 and 18 prevent any ofthe rags from falling away from the sides of the apron. After the apronhas become supported by the platen 12, the side plates 94 and 96 preventthe rags from being squeezed out from the sides of the apron and aid inthe formation of a tubular cylindrical package.

Since from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of thispackaging machine are readily apparent, further description is believedto be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specificationand accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention tothe precise embodi- V ment shown and described, but all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be readily resorted to that fallwithin the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A rag packaging machine comprising a support platform having pairs ofupwardly extending apron-support stud members secured at opposite endportions of said frame, an upwardly disposed arcuate platen having anupper convex surface supported intermediate the ends of said supportframe and terminating at opposite edges between said apron-support studmembers, side plate members secured between opposite pairs of alignedupwardly extending stud support members on opposite ends of said frame,a flexible apron extending between said side plates in overlyingrelationship on said platen, said apron having one end secured toopposite upper end portions of one pair of stud members at one end ofsaid frame, the other pair of stud members at the other end of saidframe including a plurality of vertically disposed aligned adjustingapertures, the other end of said apron being adjustably secured betweenthe aligned apertures of the other pair of stud members and defining avariable upwardly opening fold portion in said apron for receiving ragsto be packaged for forming variable sized bundles of packaged rags, theadjustable end of said apron including a hem portion along the edgethereof, a rod element extending through said hem portion in the apronbeyond the opposite edges thereof, said rod being insertable intooppositely disposed apertures in the other pair of stud members, a pairof upwardly extending elongated and opposed handle sections including ahandle portion between upper end portions thereof and being pivotallyconnected at lower end portions at opposite side portions adjacent saidframe, the pivotal connection thereof being equidistant from the arcuateupper surface of the platen, the support shaft extending between saidhandle sections in parallel relationship transversely beneath the apron,end plates secured on said handle sections in abutting relationship tothe adjacent edges of the apron closing the ends of the fold portiondefined therein when the handle sections are rotated about the pivotalconnection thereof, a packaging roller journaled on said shaft andcircumferentially engageable beneath said apron between the fold andvertically adjustable end portions thereof for closing the fold portion,said roller including closed ends having an annular recess in axialalignment with the longitudinal axis of the roller and shaft, a bearingrace disposed within said recesses and engageable between said rollerand shaft for reducing the frictional resistance to rotation betweensaid shaft and roller, said fold portion cooperating with the side platemembers for defining the hopper for receiving rags to be formed in apackage, the fold portion being movable across the upper arcuate surfaceof said platen for forming a package with a suitable cover sheetjuxtaposed on the upper surface of said platen, means on said handle foradjusting the shaft and roller toward and away from the pivotal end ofsaid handle sections for varying the peripheral distance of the rolleron the upper surface of the platen when the handle sections are rotatedabout their pivotal connection, said means including a pair of spacedbrackets disposed on opposite sides of an aperture portion extendingthrough each of said handle sections, threaded members journaled in saidbrackets in parallel relationship to the handle sections, means on theends of the threaded members for rotating the same, ends of the supportshaft extending through the aperture portions in said handle sectionsand secured to support blocks, the threaded members extending throughthe support blocks transversely of said support shaft enabling rotationof the threaded members to adjust the roller longitudinally relative tothe handle sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS211,548 Block et a1. Jan. 21, 1879 444,768 Rickards Jan. 13, 18912,592,065 Petri Apr. 8, 1952

